Pages

Monday, March 11, 2013

Mt Lanaya: Reverse Traverse

minimalist camping 2

My running buddy was running a 50K trail run in Hong Kong so
last weekend was an opportunity for me to do the activity I originally loved
doing—camping!

I wanted the activity to be a fusion of my running training
and minimalist camping so I once again took the challenge of Mt Lanaya Traverse
(in spite of my doctor’s advice). I had already traversed the mountain twice
but this time I did the reverse route starting from Minag-a and exiting at
Tumandok.

Blue: Day 1Green: Day 2

This trail is, for me, one of the best trails in the country
in that it is consistently shady, clean and single-track from start to finish. And
the locals you meet are very warm and nice. Misty wooded areas once spooked me.
But last Saturday the misty woods of Mt Lanaya made me feel like I was one with
it! I felt connected to the Earth!

Eywa

the misty woods at 2 PM

But the bees at the bouldery summit did scare
me. So I aborted the plan to camp alone at the summit.

the makeshift bench at the summit had been taken apart

Instead, I headed for
the Windows campsite down below. This campsite is still one of the best I’ve
seen! I couldn’t resist practicing some of the poses I recently learned in yoga
while facing the sun-kissed Tañon Strait. At the campsite I saw
Tonton—one of my two companions in my first Mt Lanaya trek—with some of his
friends. They would do a traverse to Lumpan the following day.

Tonton's group at Windows campsite (a.k.a. Tonton's peak)

A trek in Mt Lanaya is a dreaded one in Cebu because of its
steepness. But my recent trek was mysteriously easy! However the Lanaya-saag is
still the same—labyrinthine! The mist added to the challenge in finding the
right trail amongst the crisscrossing vanishing trails in the area. I had
mistakenly erased my GPS tracks of my first two ascents there so it was again a
puzzle for me. But

I was always ready for a camp at the Lanaya-saag area so I
didn’t panic.

got stranded for a while at Lanaya-saag

The whole trek (including the final descent to Tumandok
reading center the following morning) just consumed 2hours and 41 minutes of
moving time and around 30 minutes of stopped time (excluding the time I used taking
pictures and setting up my bivy system). And I was not running. It was a
relaxed pace. This is the advantage of minimalist camping! And I don’t intend
to brag nor take away the credit due Mt Lanaya. I’m just encouraging everyone
to do minimalist camping or engage in trail running! Your feet will become more
familiar with the trails and your stamina and cardio will greatly improve. That
is while enjoying the views!

i don't know a lot of local guides there. The ones who know the trails there are the kids of the man that owns the house near the Windows campsite. Well, that means you gotta get to the Windows campsite before you get a guide across Mt Lanaya. But among local climbers, I recommend Tonton (Anthony Perpetua on Facebook) He is a perennial visitor of Mt Lanaya.

Feedjit

About Me

The Lagataw is free-spirited. He knows no limits in space and time. But he sets limits between him and the places he visits. He respects the culture, creed and serenity of the places that take him in. The Lagataw adheres to low-impact traveling and sets out on most of his journeys alone. The Lagataw has no destination so he never gets lost. The Lagataw advocates responsible traveling free of commerce and politics. The Lagataw believes that there are only two things you can do with your body: YOU CAN EITHER DESTROY IT YOURSELF OR HAVE IT DESTROYED BY SOMETHING OR SOMEONE ELSE!